U-Isaya 49
1 Ngilalelani, zihlenge; lizwe, lina bantu abakhatshana: INkosi ingibizile ngisesiswini; ngisemibilini kamama yaqamba ibizo lami.
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: the LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name:
2 Yasisenza umlomo wami waba njengenkemba ebukhali, yangifihla ngaphansi komthunzi wesandla sayo; yangenza ngibe ngumtshoko ololiweyo, yangifihla esambeni sayo semitshoko.
and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me; and he hath made me a polished shaft, in his quiver hath he kept me close:
3 Yathi kimi: Uyinceku yami, Israyeli, engizazidumisa ngayo.
and he said unto me, Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
4 Ngasengisithi mina: Ngitshikatshikele ize, amandla ami ngiwachithele okungelutho lokuyize; qiniso, isahlulelo sami siseNkosini, lomvuzo wami ukuNkulunkulu wami.
But I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my recompence with my God.
5 Khathesi-ke itsho iNkosi, eyangibumba kwasesiswini ukuba yinceku yayo yokubuyisela uJakobe kuyo; lanxa uIsrayeli engabuthwanga, kube kanti ngizadunyiswa emehlweni eNkosi; njalo uNkulunkulu wami uzakuba ngamandla ami.
And now saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered unto him: (for I am honourable in the eyes of the LORD, and my God is become my strength: )
6 Yasisithi: Kuyinto encane ukuthi ube yinceku yami yokuvusa izizwe zikaJakobe, lokubuyisela abalondoloziweyo bakoIsrayeli; ngizakupha futhi ube yikukhanya kwabezizwe, ukuze ube lusindiso lwami kuze kube semkhawulweni womhlaba.
yea, he saith, It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
7 Itsho njalo iNkosi, uMhlengi kaIsrayeli, oNgcwele wakhe, kumphefumulo odelelwayo, kuye onengwa yisizwe, kunceku yababusi: Amakhosi azabona asukume, iziphathamandla lazo zizakhonza, ngenxa yeNkosi ethembekileyo, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, ekukhethileyo.
Thus saith the LORD, the redeemer of Israel, [and] his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall worship; because of the LORD that is faithful, [even] the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.
8 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngesikhathi esemukelekayo ngikuphendulile, langosuku losindiso ngikusizile; njalo ngizakulondoloza, ngikunike ube yisivumelwano sabantu, ukuvuselela umhlaba, ukubenza badle amafa achithekileyo,
Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;
9 ukuze uthi kuzibotshwa: Phumani; kwabasemnyameni: Zivezeni. Bazakudla ezindleleni, ledlelo labo libe semadundulwini wonke.
saying to them that are bound, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and on all bare heights shall be their pasture.
10 Kabayikulamba, kumbe bome, njalo ukutshisa kumbe ilanga kakuyikubatshaya, ngoba yena olesihawu kibo uzabakhokhela, lemithonjeni yamanzi uzabaqondisa.
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
11 Njalo ngizakwenza zonke intaba zami zibe yindlela, lemigwaqo yami iphakame.
And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
12 Khangela laba bazavela khatshana, njalo khangela laba ngasenyakatho langasentshonalanga, lalaba elizweni leSinimi.
Lo, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
13 Hlabelelani, mazulu, uthokoze, lawe mhlaba, lihlokome ngokuhlabela, lani zintaba, ngoba iNkosi ibaduduzile abantu bayo, izakuba lesihawu kwabahluphekileyo bayo.
Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have compassion upon his afflicted.
14 Kodwa iZiyoni yathi: UJehova ungidelile, njalo iNkosi yami ingikhohliwe.
But Zion said, Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me.
15 Owesifazana angamkhohlwa yini umntanakhe omunyayo, ukuba angabi lasihawu kuyo indodana yesisu sakhe? Yebo, bona bangakhohlwa, kodwa mina kangiyikukukhohlwa.
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee.
16 Khangela, ngikubhale ngokugubha ezintendeni zezandla; imiduli yakho ihlezi iphambi kwami.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
17 Abantwana bakho bazaphangisa; abachithi bakho labakumotshayo bazaphuma kuwe.
Thy children make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
18 Phakamisa amehlo akho inhlangothi zonke, ukhangele; bonke laba bayabuthana, beze kuwe. Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, isibili, uzazigqokisa ngabo bonke njengesiceciso, uzibhince ngabo njengomakoti.
Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I l live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and gird thyself with them, like a bride.
19 Ngoba indawo zakho ezichithekileyo lamanxiwa akho, lelizwe lencithakalo yakho, isibili khathesi lizaminyana kakhulu ngenxa yabahlali; lalabo abakuginyayo bazakuba khatshana.
For, as for thy waste and thy desolate places and thy land that hath been destroyed, surely now shalt thou be too strait for the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.
20 Abantwana bokufelwa kwakho bazakuthi futhi endlebeni zakho: Lindawo iminyene kakhulu kimi; ngivulela indawo ukuze ngihlale!
The children of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.
21 Khona uzakuthi enhliziyweni yakho: Ngubani ongizalele laba, njengoba ngafelwa ngabantwana, ngaba njengenyumba, ngingumthunjwa, ngisiwa le lale? Njalo ngubani okhulise laba? Khangela mina ngangisele ngedwa; laba babengaphi?
Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they?
22 Itsho njalo iNkosi uJehova: Khangela, ngizaphakamisela izizwe isandla sami, ngimise uphawu lwami ebantwini; njalo bazaletha amadodana akho esifubeni, lamadodakazi akho bewetshete.
Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the nations, and set up my ensign to the peoples: and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall he carried upon their shoulders.
23 Lamakhosi azakuba ngabondli bakho, lezindlovukazi zawo zibe ngabalizane bakho. Bazakukhothamela ngobuso emhlabathini, bakhothe uthuli lwezinyawo zakho. Njalo uzakwazi ukuthi mina ngiyiNkosi, ngoba abangithembayo kabayikuyangeka.
And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and they that wait for me shall not be ashamed.
24 Impango izathathwa yini kolamandla, kumbe umthunjwa ngokomthetho akhululwe?
Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered?
25 Kodwa itsho njalo iNkosi: Yebo, abathunjiweyo beqhawe bazathathwa, lempango yabesabekayo izakophulwa; ngoba mina ngizalwisana laye olwisana lawe, mina-ke ngisindise abantwana bakho.
But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.
26 Njalo ngizadlisa abacindezeli bakho eyabo inyama, badakwe ngelabo igazi kungathi ngewayini elimnandi. Njalo yonke inyama izakwazi ukuthi mina Nkosi nginguMsindisi wakho, loMhlengi wakho, oLamandla kaJakobe.
And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy saviour, and thy redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
